Dream Brother
by PandorasHollow
Summary: SNickers....Post episode 624


_**Disclaimer:** Not mine. You know how you can tell that CSI doesn't belong to me? If the show was mine than the last few minutes of the last night's episode wouldn't exist. Enough said.  
**Spoilers:** 624  
**AN:** **Dedicated to the Snickers fans at talkCSI**. Guys, not to sound like Jon Bon Jovi, but -**keep the faith**- _

The story was written on a whim and wasn't 'betaed'.

_BTW, the title doesn't have anything to do with this story. I was just listening to **Jeff Buckley** the whole day and on his Grace LP there are 3 versions of that song, so I kept listening to it. Besides I'm not really in the mood to think of a more fitting title._

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"I'd like to be diagnosed with cancer, actually. Have some time to prepare." He talked loud enough for her to hear him in the bathroom. "Go back to the rainforest one more time, re-read Moby Dick. Possibly enter an international chess tournament." Although his eyes had not been focused on the door, he saw her emerge from the bathroom. "At least have enough time to say goodbye to the people I love." Grissom finished and Sara crouched down to be at the same eye level with him.  
"I'm not ready to say goodbye." She said and a small smile graced her lips. Grissom looked at her with adoration and watched as Sara slowly leaned in forward, pressing her lips against his. He let her take control over the kiss as his hand reached up and got lost in her dark hair.

The only thing he was aware of, when his eyes opened, was his heart beating wildly in his chest. The softness of her lips and the scent of her shampoo still claimed his senses, and he reached out to touch Sara but his hand only grasped the cool air of his bedroom. Confusion quickly settled over his sleep-fogged mind, and he propped himself on the elbow and reached over to switch on the bedside lamp. The room, illuminated in the soft light, gave away no clues to Sara's whereabouts. Feeling his CSI skills kick in, he realized that there was no trace of her in the room at all. The bedside next to him wasn't only empty but unused too, there were no clothes scattered on the floor and the rest of the house was completely silent. Grissom got out of bed and walked into his living room and then into the kitchen looking for anything to prove Sara's presence in his house but the house looked the same as always. There was no indication at all that Sara had been with him last night.

A sigh escaped his lips, as he sat down on one of his chairs. He refused to believe that the kiss had only been a dream. It had felt so real, so vivid, he couldn't believe that it was just a product of his subconscious mind.

As he continued to sit in his too silent living room, he remembered the previous day. He remembered being at the hospital when Jim woke up, he remembered seeing relief on the faces of his team outside of Brass' room. He remembered staying behind as everyone else left to go home after a long and nerve-wracking day. With a heavy heart he remembered coming home and getting into bed, alone.

Grissom just sat there, a blank look upon his face as he tried to sort out his confused mind. _'It might have been a dream' _he thought, _'but that doesn't mean that it can't come true.'_ Determined, he stood up and went into his bedroom to change clothes before rushing out to his car.

Sara stood in front of her closet, only clad in her dark green bathrobe with a towel around her shoulders. A knock on her door interrupted her musings about what to wear to work. She walked to the door and took a look through the peep hole, surprised to find Grissom standing outside. She threw a panicked glance around her apartment before opening the door a crack.

"Grissom. Is everything alright?" She asked worriedly, immediately thinking about Brass.

"Yeah,..uhm…can we talk?" Sara glanced around her apartment once again before opening the door wider and to Grissom's surprise and bafflement, she stepped outside instead of inviting him into her apartment.

"Did I come at an inappropriate time?" He asked, eyeing her curiously.

"I was just getting ready for work." She said and that's when Grissom took in her appearance for the first time. The robe she had on was nothing like the one she wore in his dream, her hair was combed but wet, small drops of water falling down the front of her green robe. She was playing with the belt of her robe and Grissom could recognize a hint of nervousness in her eyes.

Suddenly, the reason why he had come to her in the first place slipped his mind and was replaced by the curiosity about her suspicious behavior.

"Is Brass okay." Sara asked but her question didn't dissuade him from still eyeing her questioningly, trying to understand why she was acting in this particular way. As they stood there in complete silence for a few moments, Grissom could swear that he was able to hear her shower running, which piqued his curiosity further.

"Is your shower running?" He asked and Sara's eyes widened a bit. Her reaction was enough for Grissom to know that he had guessed right.

"You look like you just had a shower, why is the water still running?" His voice was inquiring, and Sara felt like she was sitting in a interrogation room. She glanced at her closed apartment door, nervously biting on her lower lip before locking eyes with Grissom.

Even before she could formulate an explanation, Grissom saw the answer written in her eyes. In a very painful way everything started to make sense. Sara was not alone.

"You're not alone." He stated and Sara opened her mouth to say something, perhaps to deny his assumption but her mouth closed again, and she exhaled rather loudly through her nose.

"No, I'm not." Her confession felt like a ton of bricks falling on his head. "I didn't mean for you to find out like this…"

"Is it serious?" Grissom interrupted, he could feel his pulse quicken and his mouth getting dry, as he anxiously waited for her response. Sara let a few silent seconds elapse before nodding her head in confirmation.

"I'm in love with him." She said softly, and unaware to her, a smile brightened up her whole face. Grissom wasn't sure if he could stand there a second longer, watch that smile upon her face and that certain glimmer in her eyes, that screamed how much in love she was.  
He witnessed as her eyes got absent and with a bitter certainty, Grissom knew that she was thinking about the man in her apartment. For a moment he wanted to ask her who the man was but he dismissed that thought quickly. He didn't want to know who the man was that made her happy, who put that smile upon her face.

Suddenly he felt angry. Angry at Sara because she was happy without him. Angry at the man who made her happy. But mostly, he was angry at himself. He realized what a big fool he had been all these years. What a fool he had been to believe that she'd wait for him.

"I'm sorry for interrupting." He managed to say, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Grissom…" Sara started but he cut her off.

"I'll see you at work." With that he turned around and left a slightly confused Sara to stare at his retreating form. She noticed the haste in his step and his slumped shoulders. For the life of her she couldn't explain his strange behavior. _'It probably has to do with Brass'_ she concluded and made a mental note to ask him about it at work.

She turned the knob and entered her apartment almost colliding with Nick who was coming out of the bathroom, sporting only a towel around his hips.

"Hey, where did you go?" He curiously asked as she closed the door behind her.

"Grissom was here."

"Oh." Was Nick's only reply. From the look upon his face, Sara knew that he felt as surprised as she had upon finding Grissom on her doorstep. "What did he want?"

"I…don't know." Sara said slowly, her brow furrowing in confusion. She couldn't remember Grissom saying the reason for his visit.

"You don't know? What did he say?"

"Well, he found out that I am seeing someone."

"Does he…"

"No, I didn't tell him that it's you." Sara answered, knowing well what he was about to ask. Neither knew if that was a good or a bad thing that Grissom didn't know about them. "He behaved somewhat strange." She told Nick.

"I'm sure everything is alright. Brass is okay, right?" Nick queried.

"Yes." She answered and couldn't help but think about Jim Brass lying wounded in a hospital bed. Nick sensed in what direction her thoughts were heading and reached out to her.

"Hey, come here." He took her hand in his and pulled her to him. Sara gladly stepped closer, putting her arms around his middle. Nick hugged her to him and kissed her temple. "Everything is going to be okay." He whispered and Sara nodded, relishing in the warmth of his body. "Now, how much time do we have before work?" Nick asked some time later, the tone of his voice playful as his hands ran up and down her back. He could feel her smile against his shoulder, where her head was resting.

"Did you already forget what happened just an hour ago?"

"No, I certainly didn't." Sara lifted her head and looked into his smiling face.

"Are you never getting enough, Mr. Stokes?" She asked and jabbed him in the ribs playfully.

"Of you? Never." Nick whispered and Sara's only response was the kiss that she placed upon his lips.

**The End**

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